He began as a surveyor, but he worked his way up

He began as a surveyor, but he worked his way up by teaching himself about GIS, eventually mastering the field.

See guys, with hard work and study surveying is something that can be overcome. We should all strive to better ourselves and hopefully one day get a get a real GIS job.

Fits the mindset of the general public. If you work with TOOLS (TOTAL STATION, GPS) outside in the dirt you are a laborer or technician. If you sit at a desk with a computer you are a professional.

Over the years I have had conversations with several real estate agents regarding surveying training. All were surprised P.S. license requirements were more demanding than for real estate broker which is more demanding than the agents the broker supervises. One agent thought a short course on using equipment and reading deeds was more than enough. Actually wanted to argue the point with me.

Same mindset with young civil techs in a few companies. If you work with TOOLS you know less than the person at the computer that drafts from your data. Opinion of entry level CAD tech was more respected than P.S. working in the field.

I hear those filthy surveyors dig around in the dirt. They don't do anything high-tech like rubbersheet in these deed lines that don't match the GIS.

I sometimes feel like the Rodney Dangerfield of the professional world, I get no respect. Most don't have a clue what it takes to get licensed.

Being a GIS guy behind a desk day in day out sounds to me like a slow and agonizing death by a thousand paper cuts. No thanks.

Yeah, I don't have a good handle on why this mindset persists either. I can only speculate that, in general, most people really hate physical work and want to "graduate" as soon as possible. So it is unfathomable to them that a professional would not want to slide into a desk as soon as possible and throw his boots away.

I remember (as a PLS and company partner) pounding hubs for a couple weeks while making sure that a junior party chief was ready to graduate to running things on his own. The super (who knew me) just could not BELIEVE that I would "stoop" to swinging a hammer all day. Hell, I was just havin fun...

I'm in a position now where I am stuck in the office. I really miss the field. Some things are difficult to convey from the notes such as the condition of control recovered or it's vintage. I really wish I could physically visit every job so I could rely on my gut and throw out the control that just doesn't feel right.

Unfortunately right now it's not in the cards for me, but I probably have the most respect for the PLS (RLS) who conducts his own fieldwork as I did up until recently.

If people actually understood what we were doing and how much thought and experience really does play a role in field surveying, then perhaps they would see it differently.

He sounds like a problem solver (a necessity).
Top notch problem solvers are hard to come by and usually are the Director's top hand.

GIS is a problem solving tool when the product is placed in the right hands.

I guess there are other people lined up to take his surveying job.

"He began as a surveyor, but he worked his way up..."

I guess that still beats "Started out as a paper boy and working his way down to a newspaper reporter..." At least the paper boy gets the paper to the correct house 99% of the time, but I've yet to read a newspaper story that ever got the story completely correct.

Yes, you are all correct that people do not understand. We just have to take the time and keep on telling them. I always like seeing and hearing peoples reactions when they hear what it takes and why to become a PLS.

I also took the time to click on the link at the bottom of the news article.

"Corrections and Clarifications
Did you see something wrong in this story, or something missing?"

So now the report can be added to the my list of the educated.